Spine of the Throne
by RisingIndigo
Summary: This started out as a 1-shot of Madame Suliman, pre-Howl's Moving Castle plot, but has become the entire story retold in respect to this lady. Suliman had all of Ingary under her eye, with one exception: Howl. For her, it was a game: may the best one win.


**AN**: Miyazaki's Madam Suliman fascinates me as a character not evil but very cruel. She makes a big contrast to the Witch of the Waste, who is foolishly evil: made petty by her infatuation with Howl's beauty. Suliman, too, seems to have a rather questionable interest in Howl, but she is not invested in the matter as the Witch is. For her, it is also a matter of control, but how _exactly_ does she regard Howl? _What_ was her role in starting the war and what is her power in the kingdom, seeing as she was able to call off the war with a simple summons? And how does her brain work? I wanted to get inside her head, and this was what came out. The characters and plot situation are based on the Miyazaki's movie, but I've borrowed the kingdom of Ingary from Jones's book. Neighboring kingdom Ganway is utterly made up. Originally, I considered using Strangia or Norland, but Strangia was a bit too close to the book, and Norland will always be such a bookish kingdom to me that I couldn't possibly imagine it going to war. Oh, and the term "simulacrum" I got from Tamora Pierce's _Emperor Mage._ It's like a living puppet made from magic that looks human.

**Disclaimer**: And of course, I don't own any of these charming characters or Ingary because they belong to the wonderfully creative Diana Wynne Jones and super talented Hayao Miyazaki. I _would_, however, love to own some nice, full feedback!

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**Spine of the Throne**

Madam Suliman stared without seeing. The intricately carved door in front of her was grand, elegant, and formidable. Just like the rest of her office. Although multiple windows gave light to the room, the dark wood and gold-wrought furniture seemed to absorb it and emanate stern purpose back. A slight breeze slipped upward to touch the high ceiling but was overwhelmed by the vast space. It feebly broke apart.

Suliman sat in her favorite chair, gold with red silk. Over ninety, she nevertheless looked a regal fifty years old. Magic helped preserve her outer appearance, but the mind within needed no such aid. It ran on sheer willpower, sharp and unyielding.

Her head rested on her left hand. Her right drummed the mahogany table top. _Tadadat_... _tadadat_, it went as she considered the King's plans. Stone-grey eyes glanced down at the note on her desk, emblazoned with the royal seal. It was written in His Majesty's forceful scrawl: "War counsel meeting after breakfast. Report to the throne room."

The drumming stopped as she idly picked up the paper. At the meeting, the King had stridden in after a short wait and announced belligerently, "It's about time we beat those Ganway bastards to a pulp!"

As always, he conferred with his Royal Witch first. "Suliman, what about it, hey? Feel like starting a war? Throw a few fireballs at some pompous idiots?" He was a rash man, but he always deferred to his witch's opinion. Without her, the King was mostly just bluster.

She had told him she would have to consider further.

Madam Suliman studied the note again, her eyes lingering on the word "war".

Personally, she thought the idea absurd. Still, she chose to mull it over it rather than reject the war outright. "It has promise," she murmured aloud to herself out of habit. Her voice was like 90-year old honey, a little creaky but surprisingly gentle.

She recalled that the trouble stemmed from some disagreement over the Waste. The problem was that it was unmanageable. Nothing but demon-possessed wizards and witches lived there, and they were a rebellious group. Everyone agreed that something should be done about the Waste, but no one wanted the responsibility. So, each kingdom blamed the other when curses came out of the region, blighting land or felling important personages.

This time, Ganway's favorite prince had gone missing. He'd ventured in there with a small troop of wizards, hoping to find the mystical Unicorn Pearl, which was rumored to be hidden deep within. It was said to give invincibility to its wielder and prosperity to the possessor's kingdom.

"The Unicorn Pearl!" Suliman closed her eyes in disgust. If she wasn't quite dignified, Suliman would have snorted instead. "Nothing but myth. If it really did exist, someone in the Waste would have found it by now and if that happened, there wouldn't _be_ an Ingary or Ganway at all!"

It had been very foolish of Prince Justin to go after it and stupid of those wizards to follow. They hadn't been heard back from in over a year, and Ganway was very, very angry. Its King said Ingary should have done something about the Waste before now as it was on Ingary territory. Her King replied that as the Waste lay right between their two countries and as it was _their_ prince who'd gotten himself lost… well, now it had come to war.

"Foolish, very," She said, "but after all, Howl…" Naturally, each side would be using sorcery. If she advised the King to summon all the witches and wizards to the palace to aid the war effort, he'd do it, and she'd have Howl under her eye again.

For the past nine years, he'd been avoiding her, slithering away every time she tried to pin him down. She knew why, too. She put the letter back down and lay her right hand on the arm of her chair.

"Howl, Howl… my foolish apprentice," she chided. He'd shortsightedly made a contract with a demon to enhance his power. She suspected he had given it his heart. That would explain the rumors of his numerous courting exploits. Not even Howl would normally switch affections every two days, leaving girls grieving and aunts indignant. The problem was more serious than broken hearts, angry rivals, and protective relatives though.

"He is a danger to himself as well," Suliman thought firmly, lifting her head and allowing her left hand to rest, as her right did, on a chair arm.

"Well, he won't be able to slither out of a royal summons," she mused. His oath was a binding contract, and he wouldn't be able to delay for long. Given the opportunity, she was confident she could sort him out. After all, as his long-time mentor, Madam knew him very well. Fire demon or no, Howl was weak-minded. He worried about irrelevant morals and was fickle.

"Cowardice" she murmured, shaking her head, but she would set him straight. If it came to a contest of power, well, that could be quite interesting! Did promising pupil think he could overpower his teacher? But, really, it would be much better for him to accept the position she was offering. He would again be her apprentice, this time studying to take the position as Royal Wizard of Ingary. It would suit him to have someone else in command. He could put aside his indecision and dilemmas. When he was older and wiser…

"He will come to thank me eventually," Suliman stated coolly. Her confidence was unshakable. She straightened up in her chair, almost inhumanly rigid.

Breaking from the demon would be messy, even painful. The demon, of course, would die. Howl himself might be in some danger, but his magic should pull him through. If not, then she had overestimated his ability, in which case, she'd best find someone else to fill the job after all. The king trusted her judgment, and she was determined that no weakling would follow _her_ into power.

Her mouth tightened into a grim line. She would induce Howl to take the risk. Restored to normal, he would make a suitable heir for her position. He was quite talented. The most adept apprentice she had ever had in fact. It would be a waste for Howl to become like that odious Witch of the Waste.

Nothing was sadder than a witch consumed by her own demon. Yet, it did not surprise Madam Sullivan that the Witch had come to it. Madam Suliman had taught her for a while at the Sorcerous Academy. She had been brought in by Suliman's predecessor, and Suliman had never understood his decision.

Suliman closed her eyes, remembering. The witch had been a pretty girl and quite powerful, but she'd been a huge flirt, and even though she had promise, she was a sloppy learner. Only ever studied half the material and it never even crossed her mind to learn counter-spells. After Suliman evicted her for using a curse on a pair of students, the Witch had stumbled further into the darkness.

"And now so repulsive!" Madam Suliman said, still not opening her eyes. She suspected that, under all the preservation spells, the witch's body was rotting away, shriveling up like a moldy peach. Perhaps, it would be best if she was dealt with as well. Yes, Madam Sullivan would include a summons for the Witch of the Waste, too. In the palace, she would strip the Witch's power from her once and for all. Her lids flew open, grey eyes cold.

Suliman sat very still for a long while, spinning her plots for Howl, the Witch, and the war. Finally, she summoned a messenger. A blond pageboy appeared instantly in front of her. His smiling face was curiously blank as he bowed respectfully to her. Of course, he was only an animated simulacrum she had designed. There were many of them running around the palace. She studied him. He looked a little like _him _in his last year of apprenticeship. Howl had always been such an attractive boy, pleasant to behold.

"Tell His Majesty to issue his declaration of war," said Madam Suliman, speaking in her honeyed tones. "I will make sure he has all the sorcery of Ingary at his back. And please, fetch me a cup of tea."

The boy dipped his chin. "Thank you," said Madam Suliman dismissively.

He bowed and in a few wonderfully efficient strides was gone. Madam Suliman smiled. The game was begun! She felt overdue for some fun.


End file.
